Environment
2008-08-01 09:35:00
The quality of indoor air
QUESTION: We just had new carpet put in our house, and we’ve been noticing some allergic-like symptoms in the family during the 3 months since! Any possible connection?
ANSWER: Does it seem to you like more people are sicker today than they used to be? I think there are a lot of allergic reactions that cause a lot of this right in our homes and/or offices. Like many other household products and furnishings we buy and introduce into our spaces, new carpeting can be, not always, a source of chemical emissions into the air inside the home, office, or workplace. Carpet emits volatile organic compounds, as do products that accompany most carpet installations, such as adhesives and padding. Some people have reported symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, skin irritations, shortness of breath, coughing, and fatigue, which has sometimes been associated with new carpet installation. Carpet can also act as a “magnet” for chemical and biological pollutants including pesticides, dust mites, and fungi, due to those things we walk through outside everyday, and then walk inside, tracking them onto the carpets. A good habit to get into is to have all family members and guests to remove their shoes at the door, thus eliminating a major source of contamination and pollutants being deposited on your new carpets.
Individuals purchasing new carpet should ask retailers for information to help them select lower chemical emitting carpeting, cushion (pad), and adhesives. Before new carpet is installed, they should ask the retailer to unroll and air out the carpet in a clean, well-ventilated area before being delivered to your site. You should also consider leaving the premises during, as well as immediately after carpet installation, or schedule the installation when the space is unoccupied by the family members. Opening doors and windows and increasing the amount of fresh air indoors will reduce exposure to most chemicals released from newly installed carpet. During and after installation in a home, use of window fans and room air conditioners to exhaust fumes to the outdoors is highly recommended. Ventilation systems should be in proper working order, and the fans should be operated during installation, and should be continued for 48 to 72 hours after the new carpet is installed to ventilate as much of the fumes from the inside as possible.
Individuals should request that the installer follow the Carpet and Rug Institute’s installation guidelines. If new carpet has an objectionable odor, they should contact their carpet retailer with their complaint, making them aware of the problem for your family. Finally, new carpet owners should follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper carpet maintenance.
If you or someone you know, has allergic symptoms or asthma, you are sensitive to “triggers,” including particles possibly carried in the air through your heating and air conditioning systems and ductwork. These “triggers” can set off a reaction in your lungs and other parts of your body. Triggers can be found indoors or outdoors. They can be simple things like cold air, tobacco or wood smoke, perfume, paint, hair spray, or any strong odors or fumes. Also, allergens (particles that cause allergies) such as dust mites, pollen, molds, pollution, and animal dander (which are tiny scales or particles that fall off hair, feathers or skin) from any pets. The common cold, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses can also act as triggers for you. It’s important to learn which triggers are a specific problem for you, so ask your doctor to help. Your doctor may suggest some of the following things for you to do. Keep an asthma diary and have some skin testing performed to test for allergies. Try a special diet to look for and determine if you have any food allergies. Something as simple as cold air can be a trigger. Finding triggers isn’t always easy. If you do know your triggers, cutting down exposure to them may help avoid asthma and allergy attacks. If you don’t know your triggers, try to limit your exposure to one suspected trigger at a time. Watch to see if you get better. This may show you if the trigger was a problem for you.
Here are some common triggers in the home and some ways to help control them. Tobacco smoke should not be allowed in the home of someone with asthma or allergies. Ask family members and friends to smoke outdoors. You might even suggest to them that they quit smoking. Your local American Lung Association can help them. Ask your Lung Association how you can help a family member or friend quit smoking.
Wood smoke is a problem for children and adults with asthma and allergies. Avoid wood stoves and fireplaces.
Almost all pets can cause allergies, including dogs and especially cats. Small animals like birds, hamsters and guinea pigs can cause problems, so all pets should be removed from the home if pets trigger asthma and allergy symptoms. Pet allergen may stay in the home for months after the pet is gone because it remains in house dust. Allergy and asthma symptoms may take some time to get better. If the pet stays in the home, keep it out of the bedroom of anyone with asthma or allergies. Weekly pet baths may help cut down the amount of pet saliva and dander in the home. Sometimes you hear that certain cats or dogs are “non-allergenic.” There really is no such thing as a “non-allergenic” cat or dog, especially if the pet leaves dander and saliva in the home. Goldfish and other tropical fish may be a good substitute. Even cockroaches can cause problems, so it’s important to get rid of roaches in your home. The cockroach allergen comes from dead roaches and roach droppings. It collects in house dust and is hard to remove. Careful cleaning of your home will help. Having the ducts cleaned and sealed is another great idea for control.
When humidity is high, molds can be a problem in bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. Make sure these areas have good air circulation and are cleaned often. The basement in particular may need a dehumidifier. And remember, the water in the dehumidifier must be emptied and the container cleaned often to prevent forming mildew. Sometimes, there will be mold that forms on the drain line exiting water from a humidifier on your furnace. It can also form in the floor drain and sometimes on the A-coil area of your furnace.
Molds may form on foam pillows when you perspire. To prevent that mold, put the pillow in an airtight cover and tape the cover shut. Wash the pillow every week, and make sure to change it every year. Molds can also form in house plants, so check them often. You may want to keep all plants outdoors to avoid this at your house. Perfumes, room deodorizers, candles, cleaning chemicals, paints, and talcum powders are examples of triggers that must be avoided or kept at very low levels.
Dust mites are tiny, microscopic spiders usually found in house dust. Several thousand mites can be found in a pinch of dust. Mites are one of the major triggers for people with allergies and asthma. Mites are difficult to remove and take a lot of work. You can start by using an allergy control solution, a cleaner that can kill the mite allergen, and check with your doctor or pharmacist about what cleaner to buy. To help with the process of controlling dust mites, do the following things: Put mattresses and pillows in airtight covers. Put tape over the complete length of the zippers or wash the pillows and bedding every week in water that is at least 130 degrees F. Removing the bedspread at night may help. Don’t sleep or lie down on upholstered (stuffed) furniture. Permanently remove carpeting from your bedrooms. Clean up surface dust as often as possible. Use a damp mop or damp cloth when you clean. Don’t use aerosols or spray cleaners in the bedrooms.
And don’t clean or vacuum the room when someone with asthma or allergies is present. Window coverings attract dust. Use window shades or curtains made of plastic or other washable material for easy cleaning. Remove stuffed furniture and stuffed animals (unless the animals can be washed), and anything underneath the beds. Closets need extra special care and they should hold only needed clothing. Putting clothes pins on plastic garment bags may help. Do not use the plastic bags that cover dry cleaning. Dust mites like moisture and high humidity. Cutting down the humidity in your home can cut down the number of mites. A dehumidifier may help. Air filters may be of limited help by keeping your home cleaner and more comfortable. Ask your heating and air conditioning professional for advice about air filters. Controlling the home environment is a very important part of asthma and allergy care. Here are some general rules for home control for all members of the family.
Reduce or remove as many asthma and allergy triggers from your home as possible. If possible, use air filters and air conditioners to make your home cleaner and more comfortable. Pay specific attention to the problem of dust mites. Work hard to control this problem in the bedroom. Vacuum cleaners stir up dust and allergens in the air. A vacuum cleaner with an air filter or a central vacuum cleaner with a collection bag outside the home may be of limited value. Anyone with asthma or allergies should avoid vacuuming. If vacuuming must be done, a dust mask may help.
Contact your local heating and air conditioning/indoor air quality professional for more specific guidance and information for your own family. That call could answer some questions for you about why your family may be having some health issues going on all the time. Some information was researched from the worldwide web…More next month…
